Chef José Andrés is launching a luxury hotel brand
It was only a matter of time until José Andrés launched a hotel brand. The renowned chef, restaurateur, and humanitarian has already mastered the hotel restaurant, with time-tested concepts like the Bazaar by José Andrés and Zaytinya landing in major hotels across the country. Now, Andrés will have a flag of his own. The Bazaar House by José Andrés is coming to Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood in 2027. “It’s an incredible feeling to influence the guest’s journey through their travels, be able to tell our stories, and bring people together around food and beverage in our hometown,” says Sam Bakhshandehpour, CEO of the José Andrés Group, which is based in D.C. The 67-room luxury hotel, which will occupy 115,000 square feet, will feature a selection of Andrés’s restaurants, though exact concepts are still to be determined. It’ll include a wellness facility, events space, retail shops, and a penthouse-level private members’ club. The hotel’s design hasn’t been finalized either, but Bakhshandehpour promises an innovative brand in the style of Andrés’s beloved restaurants, starting with its name. Rendering of the forthcoming Bazaar Hotel, in Washington D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood [Image: Winstanley Architects/courtesy The Bazaar] Andres created The Bazaar concept more than 15 years ago for a different hotel brand, the upscale SLS, then owned by SBE Entertainment, where Bakhshandehpour would later spend time as CEO. The first Bazaar opened in the SLS Los Angeles in 2008. Almost immediately, the new restaurant brand eclipsed the hotel that housed it. People didn’t visit the SLS, Bakhshandehpour says, they visited “the Bazaar hotel.” “Even back then,” he says, “The essence of the experience was the food and beverage and design outside of the rooms.” The restaurant name became so powerful, in fact, that Andrés bought full rights to it in 2018—a deal that Bakhshandehpour put together and participated in. Bakhshandehpour still believes that the restaurant makes the hotel. His appointment as president of the José Andrés in 2019 and elevation to CEO earlier this year was more than a signal to expect more hotel restaurant openings; it was a clear sign that the group would develop a hotel brand of its own, anchored by its iconic restaurants. Bazaar Mar Las Vegas [Photo: Katrina Frederick/Bazaar] “I don’t think this is that unnatural of an act for us, to evolve into branding the property, given the global brand recognition of what the [restaurant] experience is,” Bakhshandehpour says. In the past few years alone, Andrés’s restaurant group has partnered with a host of hotels, installing restaurants in properties operated by hospitality megabrands Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott. Last year, Andres opened the Bazaar in D.C.’s new Waldorf-Astoria. He’ll soon debut a new location of Mediterranean concept Zaytinya at the Shay, a Hyatt property in L.A. José Andrés Group CEO Sam Bakhshandehpour and chef José Andrés [Photo: courtesy The Bazaar] But perhaps no single hotel showcases the Andrés Group phenomenon better than the Ritz-Carlton New York NoMad, where the company operates four distinct concepts, including a Spain-meets-Japan twist on the Bazaar and a 50th-floor cocktail lounge called Nubeluz. The hotel even offers an exclusive “Tour de José,” a dine-around experience with stops for food and drinks in all four spaces for $395 per person. Bakhshandehpour says that opening the Bazaar House is complementary to everything the company is doing. He describes the forthcoming D.C. hotel as the group’s “jewel box” in the restaurant group’s hometown. Renderings from development partner Thor Equities depict a large, modern space with plenty of street-facing real estate. The rooftop Bazaar Club, for members only, takes its inspiration from the private dining rooms in José Andrés restaurants. “We’re leaning into uniting people,” Bakhshandehpour says, hoping to attract people whom he describes as thought leaders from around the world. “If everyone disagrees on every topic that’s discussed in the members’ club, the hope is that they agree that they had an exceptional meal and a great glass of wine,” he says, “and they’ll walk away being able to see what’s more in common than their differences.” A Nitro Continental Sour at the Bazaar Mar Las Vegas [Photo: Katrina Frederick/Bazaar] The hotel doesn’t have an operating partner, but it will. “I’m not looking to run a hotel,” Bakhshandehpour says. “We’re going to have conversations with all of our friends in the industry and figure out who makes the most sense and who’s excited about operating the inaugural Bazaar House by José Andrés.” Yes, inaugural. Bakhshandehpour promises that the D.C. location will be the first, but not the only hotel from José Andrés Group. “Of course more will be coming,” Bakhshandehpour says. He declined to speculate on timing or future hotel locations, and insists he has no end game in sight bey
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It was only a matter of time until José Andrés launched a hotel brand. The renowned chef, restaurateur, and humanitarian has already mastered the hotel restaurant, with time-tested concepts like the Bazaar by José Andrés and Zaytinya landing in major hotels across the country. Now, Andrés will have a flag of his own. The Bazaar House by José Andrés is coming to Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood in 2027.
“It’s an incredible feeling to influence the guest’s journey through their travels, be able to tell our stories, and bring people together around food and beverage in our hometown,” says Sam Bakhshandehpour, CEO of the José Andrés Group, which is based in D.C.
The 67-room luxury hotel, which will occupy 115,000 square feet, will feature a selection of Andrés’s restaurants, though exact concepts are still to be determined. It’ll include a wellness facility, events space, retail shops, and a penthouse-level private members’ club. The hotel’s design hasn’t been finalized either, but Bakhshandehpour promises an innovative brand in the style of Andrés’s beloved restaurants, starting with its name.
Andres created The Bazaar concept more than 15 years ago for a different hotel brand, the upscale SLS, then owned by SBE Entertainment, where Bakhshandehpour would later spend time as CEO. The first Bazaar opened in the SLS Los Angeles in 2008. Almost immediately, the new restaurant brand eclipsed the hotel that housed it. People didn’t visit the SLS, Bakhshandehpour says, they visited “the Bazaar hotel.”
“Even back then,” he says, “The essence of the experience was the food and beverage and design outside of the rooms.” The restaurant name became so powerful, in fact, that Andrés bought full rights to it in 2018—a deal that Bakhshandehpour put together and participated in.
Bakhshandehpour still believes that the restaurant makes the hotel. His appointment as president of the José Andrés in 2019 and elevation to CEO earlier this year was more than a signal to expect more hotel restaurant openings; it was a clear sign that the group would develop a hotel brand of its own, anchored by its iconic restaurants.
“I don’t think this is that unnatural of an act for us, to evolve into branding the property, given the global brand recognition of what the [restaurant] experience is,” Bakhshandehpour says.
In the past few years alone, Andrés’s restaurant group has partnered with a host of hotels, installing restaurants in properties operated by hospitality megabrands Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott. Last year, Andres opened the Bazaar in D.C.’s new Waldorf-Astoria. He’ll soon debut a new location of Mediterranean concept Zaytinya at the Shay, a Hyatt property in L.A.
But perhaps no single hotel showcases the Andrés Group phenomenon better than the Ritz-Carlton New York NoMad, where the company operates four distinct concepts, including a Spain-meets-Japan twist on the Bazaar and a 50th-floor cocktail lounge called Nubeluz. The hotel even offers an exclusive “Tour de José,” a dine-around experience with stops for food and drinks in all four spaces for $395 per person.
Bakhshandehpour says that opening the Bazaar House is complementary to everything the company is doing. He describes the forthcoming D.C. hotel as the group’s “jewel box” in the restaurant group’s hometown. Renderings from development partner Thor Equities depict a large, modern space with plenty of street-facing real estate.
The rooftop Bazaar Club, for members only, takes its inspiration from the private dining rooms in José Andrés restaurants. “We’re leaning into uniting people,” Bakhshandehpour says, hoping to attract people whom he describes as thought leaders from around the world.
“If everyone disagrees on every topic that’s discussed in the members’ club, the hope is that they agree that they had an exceptional meal and a great glass of wine,” he says, “and they’ll walk away being able to see what’s more in common than their differences.”
The hotel doesn’t have an operating partner, but it will. “I’m not looking to run a hotel,” Bakhshandehpour says. “We’re going to have conversations with all of our friends in the industry and figure out who makes the most sense and who’s excited about operating the inaugural Bazaar House by José Andrés.”
Yes, inaugural. Bakhshandehpour promises that the D.C. location will be the first, but not the only hotel from José Andrés Group.
“Of course more will be coming,” Bakhshandehpour says. He declined to speculate on timing or future hotel locations, and insists he has no end game in sight beyond perfecting, and eventually replicating, the restaurant-driven hotel concept.
“You don’t build to sell. You build for longevity,’ he says. “Literally, yesterday, José said to me, ‘Trends come and go, things change, but at the end of the day, if you deliver exceptional food, you will always win.’”
